Good first hunting rifle?
- Thread starter sneasle
- Start date
mapsjanhere
New member
Tikka T3 in 308. Don't worry about recoil in your hunting rifle, you are only going to get one shot, and then the deer is running. While you're sighting it and training, take your time, if it's only 10 per session, that's ok. You typically have 50 weeks to get ready for season.
customaquatics
New member
first off you should be asking yourself what are you hunting?
From your list,
I own a Weatherby Vanguard in .270 win and a T/C Venture in 30-06.
Both are excellent rifles. I did change out the trigger in my Weatherby because I couldn't get it adjusted the way I like. The pull weight adjusted fine but it always felt "creepy" to me. The Timney trigger I dropped in added $100 to the rifle but since then I couldn't be happier with it.
The Venture trigger was perfect out of the box and both rifles will shoot 1 inch or less groups when I do my part.
I own a Weatherby Vanguard in .270 win and a T/C Venture in 30-06.
Both are excellent rifles. I did change out the trigger in my Weatherby because I couldn't get it adjusted the way I like. The pull weight adjusted fine but it always felt "creepy" to me. The Timney trigger I dropped in added $100 to the rifle but since then I couldn't be happier with it.
The Venture trigger was perfect out of the box and both rifles will shoot 1 inch or less groups when I do my part.
Another vote for the Weatherby Vanguard. Last year I bought a new one in 243 with a walnut stock for ~ about 600 if I recall correctly. Beautiful rifle with very nice checkering and curly flake walnut.
If I am doing my part, the rifle will make consistant 1 inch 3-shot groups at 100 yards. The best was 0.6 inch.
With scope and sling, the rifle weighs 9.5 lb, so obviously the recoil is mild in 243. But 9.5 lb is enough to tame anything up to 30-06. The synthetic stock is a bit lighter I believe.
If I am doing my part, the rifle will make consistant 1 inch 3-shot groups at 100 yards. The best was 0.6 inch.
With scope and sling, the rifle weighs 9.5 lb, so obviously the recoil is mild in 243. But 9.5 lb is enough to tame anything up to 30-06. The synthetic stock is a bit lighter I believe.
An affordable option for a complete setup is a Savage 10GXP3 package. You get a rifle, 3x9 Bushnell scope, and even a sling. Not a bad looking rifle; nothing fancy but a solid hunting gun. Available calibers are 22-250, .223, 243, 25-06, 270, 30-06, 300 Win Mag, 308, 7mm Rem mag, and 7mm-08 Rem. These are economy rifles but they have the excellent Savage 'Accutrigger' and are accurate as heck. I'd suggest you consider a 30-06 because you can get loads from 110gr up to 220grn which will allow you to hunt anything in North America.
I got my son a .223 version and right after breaking it in, he shot a 5rd 5/8" group at 100yds with it using my Hornady 68grn handloads with TAC powder I made up for my AR. He absolutely loves the trigger and the rifle as a whole. Even the scope is decently bright and has held zero very well. (Note: Even though they claim it comes boresighted, plan on sighting it in yourself.) Best of all it cost me $571 delivered to my FFL from Buds.
I got my son a .223 version and right after breaking it in, he shot a 5rd 5/8" group at 100yds with it using my Hornady 68grn handloads with TAC powder I made up for my AR. He absolutely loves the trigger and the rifle as a whole. Even the scope is decently bright and has held zero very well. (Note: Even though they claim it comes boresighted, plan on sighting it in yourself.) Best of all it cost me $571 delivered to my FFL from Buds.
I like the Howa which is the Vanguard...
HOWAever, I would recommend the Tikka T3 and the TC Venture in that order.
The Tikka is a poor man's SAKO and it definitely lives up to it's name...
Action and trigger are incredibly Smooooooth! and the rifle is LITE!
My friend has a Venture and he likes it very much. It shoots very well. But I have owned three Tikka Lites and one Tikka 565... all of them hit the dime EVERY TIME!
Cartridge... go with 30-06... use 130 (or 150) grain bullets and your recoil problems are solved. The 270 in those bullet weights is not measurably better and the 06 offers many optional bullets and weights for any critter in the Western Hemisphere... (Yes, even Grizzlies, though I wouldn't prefer it when I can use a big bore magnum.)
If you must go short action... go with the 30-06 SHORT
(.308) for the same good reasons I recommended the 30-06. Whatever rifle you choose... get a Limbsaver recoil pad... you will love it!
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Wow, a whole lot of opinions here, thanks so much everyone.
As I expected it's a pretty even response, which tells me it will be difficult for me to make a bad choice, assuming that the final rifle fits me well.
Along that line, I had an opportunity to should the Tikka T3 this past weekend and was impressed by it's weight and the smoothness of the bolt.
I shouldered the Remmy 700 in varmint stock form, beastly heavy, not really my cup of tea.
I shouldered the Remmy 700 in the 'bone collectors edition' stock, much better then the varmint.
I shouldered the Edge/Axis. Felt ok, I was not impressed with the bolt, it took a lot of force for me to open/close the bolt... I would lift the bolt, and it wouldn't lift all the way open. I had to smack it open hard or else it would catch on that point and not fully open and would not slide.
I shouldered a Savage 10 in a varmint/target stock of sorts. Very heavy like the Remmy but felt a bit better balanced.
This was all at my local Dick's. Hopefully I'll get to hit up BassPro this weekend and see what I can find there.
It looks like the .243 is leading my cartridge debate currently, followed closely by the following this this order 7mm-08, .270, .308, .260R (because of availability)
As I expected it's a pretty even response, which tells me it will be difficult for me to make a bad choice, assuming that the final rifle fits me well.
Along that line, I had an opportunity to should the Tikka T3 this past weekend and was impressed by it's weight and the smoothness of the bolt.
I shouldered the Remmy 700 in varmint stock form, beastly heavy, not really my cup of tea.
I shouldered the Remmy 700 in the 'bone collectors edition' stock, much better then the varmint.
I shouldered the Edge/Axis. Felt ok, I was not impressed with the bolt, it took a lot of force for me to open/close the bolt... I would lift the bolt, and it wouldn't lift all the way open. I had to smack it open hard or else it would catch on that point and not fully open and would not slide.
I shouldered a Savage 10 in a varmint/target stock of sorts. Very heavy like the Remmy but felt a bit better balanced.
This was all at my local Dick's. Hopefully I'll get to hit up BassPro this weekend and see what I can find there.
It looks like the .243 is leading my cartridge debate currently, followed closely by the following this this order 7mm-08, .270, .308, .260R (because of availability)
Just suggesting that you not judge the Rem 700 and Savage as hunting rifles based on the feel of the varmint models because I believe those have the heavy bull barrels. They are intended for stationary shooting from a rest. Those guns are available in regular barrels and would feel much different in that configuration.
Howa
I bought for my son for his 16th birthday a Howa 1500 in 30/06 used with a bushnell ranger 3x9 scope for about $350.00. When I researched this gun I found that Howa in Japan made the barreled action which is the same as the 1500, and sent it to Weatherby to be sold as a weatherby at 4 times the price.
The end result is that he does sub-moa on a regular basis
I bought for my son for his 16th birthday a Howa 1500 in 30/06 used with a bushnell ranger 3x9 scope for about $350.00. When I researched this gun I found that Howa in Japan made the barreled action which is the same as the 1500, and sent it to Weatherby to be sold as a weatherby at 4 times the price.
The end result is that he does sub-moa on a regular basis